The Texans finished what coach Gary Kubiak called a "good week" on Saturday morning with a light practice at the Methodist Training Center.
"We're healthier than we've been in a while, so that's exciting," Kubiak said. "We've had good preparation. We've got a lot of time between now and game time. We just need to lock-in in what we're doing. We've got a big challenge ahead of us, but boy, we are looking forward to it."
The Texans face the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football in two days. Their biggest health concerns are defensive tackle Earl Mitchell (ankle) and defensive end Jesse Nading (knee), who are listed as doubtful for the game. Neither player participated in practice this week.
Guard Mike Brisiel (knee) is listed as questionable, but Kubiak said earlier in the week that Brisiel was doing well in practice.
Playing time notesKubiak said that linebacker Kevin Bentley, the special teams captain and starting strongside linebacker, "won't get that many reps" on defense this week. Bentley is coming off a three-game absence from arthroscopic knee surgery, and the Texans will be in nickel for most of the game against Indy.
Rookie defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard, who was promoted from the practice squad on Monday, will be active and in the defensive line rotation.
"Energy," Kubiak said of what he expects to get from Sheppard. "He got called up and is getting a chance to play because he's been special in practice. He deserves it. The guys want to see him get a chance, so we'll give him a chance and see how he does."
Kubiak also said that defensive end Mark Anderson is "about to play more." Anderson, 27, has been worked into the lineup slowly since he signed a few weeks ago after being cut by the Chicago Bears.
"He's got speed and he can rush a passer," Kubiak said. "He's going to help (coordinator) Joe (Marciano) in special teams, too. This is our third week we've had him now, so hopefully we'll get more out of him."
Different scheduleWith this being the first Monday night road game in team history, the Texans will be in the unfamiliar position of flying up for a game on Sunday morning.
The Texans' weekly schedule leading up to the game has been identical to that of a normal week, except that everything has been pushed back a day. The only distinct difference will be the time of kickoff the day after they arrive in Indy – 7:30 p.m. CT instead of noon.
"We get extra meeting time on Monday," Kubiak said. "Obviously, we're sitting around the hotel all day… so it's a long day for our players."
